Faithful Student
by Cliff-Ripcord
Summary: Princess Celestia sends her former student, Trixie, to Ponyville to help her back on her hooves after losing everything. There will be shipping in later chapters.
1. Prologue

**_PROLOGUE~_**

_Dear Princess Celestia,_

_I realize it's been a long time since I've corresponded with you. I can only imagine how much you must miss having a student as wonderful as myself. I'm sure it will come as no surprise to you, dearPrincess that, I, you're most talented student, have become the most renowned and skilled unicorn in all of Equestria._

_I'm certain that by now word must have reached you of my many accomplishments, so I won't bore you with all the silly details of how I have wowed crowds in every city I have graced with my fantastic and amazing show, the stunning feats of magic I have performed that would simply boggle the minds of lesser unicorns, and of course how I vanquished the Ursa Minor threatening the nowhereburg of Ponyville just a few months ago. You surely have heard all of these stories, and more. I must add, however, that battling and defeating that Ursa Minor was a feat that came at my own great personal expense. I lost my carriage and all my belongings-including my treasured hat and cape- but such is the life of a pony as heroic and self-sacrificing as myself._

_While I am staying here in Mon Cantermari, looking for a new stage coach, I thought it was only fair that I write to my dear former teacher about my travels. While I know you have heard rumors of my greatness, it surely must have been endlessly troubling to you to have not heard about my triumphs from me personally._

_Well, worry no more, dear Celestia, all the rumors and hype are true!_

_I will be eagerly awaiting your return letter; no doubt filled with admiration and at least a little humility at having been so wrong about Trixie and her destiny!_

_Your beloved former student,_

_The Great and Powerful Trixie_

Trixie rolled the scroll and scrawled the address on the outside, along with her current return address. She hated having a return address. She hated staying still and stagnating in this awful little inn, in the terrible sea-side town of Mon Cantermari. More than anything, she hated having to beg for charity. She had rewritten that letter dozens of times, choosing every word carefully. She didn't want to sound –to be - desperate or pathetic, but she knew deep down that know matter how she had worded it, begging was exactly what she was doing. It _was_ desperate. It _was_pathetic. It made her queasy to think about it.

She shook her head slowly and took a breath before sliding the scroll into the mailbox.

The response came sooner than expected, less than two days later, when the heavy knocking of a glided horseshoe on the flimsy door startled her out of the idle magic tricks she was had taken to practicing to amuse herself and fill the long empty stretches of time spent in her dismal one room flat. With her concentration broken, the vase on her night table exploded in a cloud of sparkling purple-blue smoke, leaving a confused looking frog in its place.

"Ugh! Trixie told you she would have the money for the room at the end of the week!" the magician shouted as she swung the door open violently, cracking the plaster on the wall.

"A letter from Canterlot Palace," stated the Royal Guard standing in the doorway. He passed the scroll emblazoned with the Royal Seal to Trixie. She kept it levitating in front of her face for a moment before finally unfurling it.

_My Dear Student, Trixie,_

_It has brought me so much happiness and relief to have finally received a letter from you after all this time. Your wonderful dramatic flair always made your letters such a delight to read. I'm happy to see you haven't lost this quirk that I had always admired so much in you._

_You are very correct in your assumptions. It pains me daily to feel as though I failed you as a mentor and your presence around the palace is deeply missed. You were always such a joy, albeit a challenge to teach._

_I have also heard much about your travels through various sources. Your choice to leave me has not meant I lost interest in you. You certainly have built quite the reputation for yourself. Your defeat of the Ursa Minor is a tale in which I took particular interest. In fact, your letter was timed perfectly, as I have been trying to contact you since I first heard of the incident. I have already prepared for you to be brought by Royal Escort to Ponyville. I am sure the residents must be eager to see their town's savior again, and my current student residing in Ponyville has graciously agreed to open her home to you while I make arrangements to provide you a new carriage and provisions to continue in your travels._

_I do hope that given your new temporary residence you will find the time to write to me more frequently._

_Your Teacher,_  
><em>Princess Celestia<em>


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One~

"Did you finish sweeping yet, Spike?" Twilight asked, not looking away from her task of frantically organizing and reorganizing a book shelf that had somehow wound up in an unacceptable state of disarray. "She's going to be here today! I can't have the library being a mess! She could tell the Princess, and if the Princess thinks I'm not taking good care of the library she may not let me stay here anymore! Not to mention how completely embarrassing it will be to have one of the Princess' former students think I'm lazy! Or unorganized! Or-"

"Relax, Twilight!" Spike insisted, hanging the broom back up in the closet, "You're getting all worked up over nothing! I'm sure she's gonna think you're great! You're Princess Celestia's best student after all!"

Her eyes went wide with shock at what she'd heard, "Spike! You can't say things like that once she gets here! It's very rude to make assumptions like that. She probably trained with the Princess far longer than I have. I'm sure there's so much she could teach me. So many stories she could tell me about the Princess. We need to be respectful and courteous!"

The young dragon rolled his eyes, "Sheesh, Twilight! Fine, I won't say you're the best! I still think you've got nothing to worry about."

"That's easy for you to say…" the unicorn lamented as she collapsed down on her haunches, exhausted and anxious.

Outside, the steady marching hoof beats of the Royal Guard rang through the town and came to a stop in front of the library. Inside the carriage, Trixie looked cautiously out the window. She had wanted to enter the town with as little fuss as possible, but with the entourage of armored pegasi around her, nearly all of Ponyville had come out to crowd around the coach, curious about who was inside.

"You can do this, Trixie!" she assured herself, straightening her spine and holding her head higher, "These backwoods ponies are simpletons. Surely they've forgotten all about that by now."

She nodded resolutely, convincing herself of this before stepping out from the carriage.

Instantly, a sharp murmur moved through the crowd, silenced when a harsh voice came from above, "You've got a lot of nerve showing up here again!"

In less than a second, Trixie found herself face-to-face with the rainbow-maned pegasus whose name she hadn't bothered remembering.

"Trixie is here on official business from Princess Celestia," she said, tossing her mane haughtily, appearing unphased.

"Yeah, right! There's no way the Princess would send _you _here!"

The magician rolled her eyes. So they remembered her. That didn't mean they weren't simpletons. She gestured toward the elaborate carriage and stoic guards who had brought her here. "If Trixie wasn't sent by the Princess then why did Trixie get a Royal Escort into town?"

Rainbow Dash had no quick answer and Trixie took the opportunity to push past her.

"As Princess Celestia's former, and greatest student, Trixie was sent to help assist her current student in her studies. If you spend anymore time hindering Trixie, you'll be reported to the Princess for being an impediment to Royal business." She tossed her mane one more time, to make sure she had gotten her point across; she entered the library, leaving the scathing crowd of angry ponies behind her.

"I have arrived, The Gre-" Trixie began, but was cut off instantly, as Twilight rushed toward her, grabbing her fore hoof and shaking in fervently without even taking in who she was seeing.

"It's such an honor to have you as my guest. The chance to learn from a former- Tr-Trixie?" Twilight's expression hardened instantly and she stepped back, holding her ground in a defensive stance. "What are you doing in my library? What are you even doing back here in Ponyville? I'm expecting an esteemed guest and I won't have you ruining this with cheap tricks and senseless bragging."

Upon seeing Twilight, Trixie could feel the urge to flee building in her, but she suppressed it. She was sent here by the Princess. She was that esteemed guest. She had the upper hoof here. "That really is no way to be speaking to the greatest and most talented unicorn to ever study in the royal halls of Canterlot Palace. Trixie _should _be asking _you_what you're doing here. Trixie was meant to be meeting with Celestia's current student. Perhaps you know her? Has she stepped out? How terribly disrespectful! You must be her assistant or something. Do be sure to inform her of Trixie's arrival when she returns."

A dull ringing sounded in Twilight's ears and her legs wobbled a bit beneath her. Trixie. Trixie? Trixie was a former student of Princess Celestia? Had Trixie really been chosen as special, just like she had? Had Trixie spent late nights studying by candle at the Princess' side? Had Trixie gotten to sit in the Royal gardens, watching the Princess raise the sun from the most perfect, beautiful vantage point in all of Equestria?

"That's not possible." Twilight whispered, her tone harsh, eyes furrowed sharply. "You can't be the Princess' student."

"Trixie could say the same about you." The clear confusion and distress on Twilight's face gave Trixie more confidence. Maybe she really _did_have the upper hoof! "I thought Celestia would have better taste. Though, I suppose after Trixie, nopony could ever compare as a student and she stopped even trying to use her better judgment. "

"Now I know it's not true!" Twilight fumed, horn glowing with the charge of magic, "No student of Princess Celestia… No. No decent pony would talk about the Princess the way you are!"

The magician stepped back. She wasn't stupid. She knew what this unicorn's magic was capable of, but she refused to give in. She retrieved the scroll she'd received, floating it from the carriage in through an open window. She waved it in Twilight's face. "See for yourself."

Twilight read the letter. Then she read the letter again, desperate to find some fault with it. It bore the Royal Seal and the calligraphy was no doubt that of the Princess, but it just didn't add up. She had told the Princess all about Trixie and the events surrounding the Ursa Minor attack. Why would Princess Celestia talk about it as though she believed what Trixie was saying, even if it was true that Trixie had once been her student? Was this a trick? A test? Yes! That must be it! A smile broke on Twilight's face and she rolled the scrolled back up.

"Guess there's no arguing with a letter from the Princess herself! If she wants you to stay here, then I'm happy to have you!"

Trixie was almost taken aback by the sudden change in attitude, but she wasn't going to argue. "Good. Then you can show Trixie where she'll be staying."

"Of course! Spike and I will just go get some tea ready and then we'll get you all set up!" Twilight continued to smile as she nudged the confused and reluctant baby dragon into the small kitchen at the back of the library.

"Aw c'mon, Twilight! You're not actually buying this, are you?" Spike threw his hands in the air, baffled by the exchange he'd just seen. "You can't actually want her staying here!"

"Keep it down, Spike." Twilight whispered, lifting a kettle and placing it on the stove. "I didn't understand at first, either, but it all made sense after I read the Princess' letter! It's all a test! The Princess wants to see me apply my lessons in friendship in a difficult situation! If I can forgive and befriend Trixie, then I must finally understand the true magic of friendship!"

The dragon remained unconvinced. He scowled from Twilight, to the door, to the kettle on the stove. "What about all that stuff about being Princess Celestia's student? Is that really true?"

The kettle whistled and Twilight removed it from the flame, pouring the tea into cups.

"She probably just means she studied at the Academy! Lots of unicorns have. And Trixie's fallen on some hard times since what happened last time she was here. She lost her home and her career and she went to the Princess for help. The Princess was kind and generous enough to send her somewhere where she could at least have a place to stay, a chance to rebuild her life." Twilight gave a serene smile and a light blush spread over her cheeks as she thought about just how wonderful and benevolent her mentor was. She shook herself out of her reverie, but kept her smile as she lifted the tea cups in front of her and started back toward the main room. "If the Princess thinks Trixie deserves a second chance, well, then I think she deserves a second chance, too!"

"If you say so, Twi…" Spike agreed half-heartedly, "I hope you're right about this."


	3. Chapter Two

"Who?" A small brown owl called down from the rafters.

"I told you! I'm The Great and Powerful Trixie!" the blue unicorn shouted up toward the offending bird.

Twilight and Spike walked back from the kitchenette and into the main room of the library; the scene made both of them stop short. While Twilight was polite enough to hold back the chuckles that bubbled up inside her, the baby dragon was much less courteous. He burst into a fit of laughter, nearly knocking himself to the floor.

"Who?" Owloysis repeated, unruffled.

"How have you not heard of me? I'm Great and Powerful!" she stomped her forehoof like a foal preparing to throw a tantrum before spinning around to face the source of the laughter, "And _what_ exactly is so funny, dragon?"

Still shaking his head and chuckling, Spike walked over to Trixie, laying a claw on her withers in friendly manner, "Just ignore him. There's no arguing with that one. He can keep that up all day. My name's Spike, by the way."

It was all Trixie could do to keep from shrieking. Instantly, she bolted away from Spike, running over to Twilight side. "Ugh! Your horrid reptile _touched _me!"

"He was just being friendly," Twilight frowned, finding it hard to hide the offense she'd taken to Trixie's reaction to her oldest friend. She couldn't get mad, though, she had to be friendly. It's what the Princess wanted from her. She forced a cordial smile onto her face. "You don't need to worry. Spike's not like most other dragons. He's my assistant. He grew up around ponies in Canterlot."

"Trixie couldn't care less where the lizard was raised!" Trixie huffed, radiating arrogance and annoyance as a way to recover from the embarrassment of her reaction. "Trixie will not tolerate that disgusting serpent putting his filthy claws on her glorious coat! Trixie suggests you start keeping him on a leash!"

The dragon stepped up instantly, pointing a clawed finger in the unicorn's face, making her flinch, "Who are you calling a serpent, you-"

A puff of magic zipped Spike's mouth closed and Twilight instantly had a foreleg over her shoulder, ushering him aside, "Be nice…" she whispered, "I know what she said was uncalled for, but Princess Celestia is counting on us to set a good example."

He mumbled against the magical restraint, glaring over at Trixie who was sneering smugly at him over Twilight's shoulder.

Twilight sighed and gently pat his shoulder again, "I know…I know… but please, Spike… just try to be nice. For me?"

The baby dragon's shoulders slumped in defeat and instantly the magic zipper was poofed away.

"Thank you," Twilight mouthed to Spike before turning back toward Trixie. "I'm sorry about that, sometimes Spike doesn't really think before he talks."

Trixie waved a forehoof dismissively. She couldn't allow the conversation to dwell on her moment of weakness. "Such a …lesser creature can't really be held accountable for such disrespectful behavior. Now if you're finished punishing your pet, Trixie needs an escort to the nearest tavern."

Twilight's eyes widened a bit at the request. She glanced at the clock and frowned, "It's the afternoon. And it's a Sunday. Taverns aren't open. Besides, there's a party being held for you this evening, so we should probably stay here and get you settled in before then."

"A party…?" Trixie repeated, a frown forming on her face, skepticism and shock clear in her voice. Despite how she kept up her pompous attitude in front of Twilight; despite how she had bragged her way through her letter to Celestia, she knew the ponies of this town had no reason to celebrate her. It hadn't been her fault. Trixie knew that. She reminded herself of that fact almost daily… But Trixie wasn't stupid and she understood and expected negativity, animosity…hatred from these ponies. A party just didn't make any sense.

"You alright?" Twilight asked, breaking through the silent walls of thought Trixie had surrounded herself with. The magician shook her head to clear it. She had obviously let her emotions show more than she has intended.

"Of course!" she snapped, quickly and instinctively. "I….Tr-….The Great and Powerful Trixie simply had not been informed of any party. Next time you entertain guests, it really would be polite to let them know that you had already taken the liberty of scheduling their evening."

"It wasn't really _my_plan," Twilight confessed, "I actually tried to talk Pinkie Pie out of it. I didn't think anypony would want to have a party after all that traveling, but, well, when Pinkie wants to have a party…she's going to."

Trixie eyed the other unicorn skeptically. Had she not been certain that a pony like Twilight was incapable of doing anything conniving, she would have been suspicious about this party. She fixed a stern frown on her face, "Trixie doesn't suppose there's a way she could get out of this."

"Afraid not." Twilight frowned as well. She hadn't been looking forward to this party in the first place and the idea of having to show up with Trixie was making her dread the very idea.

The frown on Trixie's face melted from stern to exhausted. "Ugh. Well, if Trixie absolutely must attend this party, she should at least get some rest first. You've yet to show Trixie to her room."

"Oh! Right. This way." Twilight led the way up to her loft where two beds sat parallel in the small space.

The magician looked over the loft disapprovingly. "You must be joking. This is absolutely unacceptable! The Great and Powerful Trixie requires her own room and proper accommodations!"

"There are no other rooms," Twilight explained calmly. "This apartment was an addition to the original library and wasn't really designed for guests."

Trixie scowled. Living here was going to be terrible enough, but without privacy it wasn't going to be bearable. She looked at the beds, at the cramped loft, at the basket filled will blankets on the floor that she assumed must have been where that horrid lizard slept. It was more than she could handle. "You'll just have to find another place to sleep! Trixie will _not_be sharing her sleeping space!"

She looked at Twilight, casting a hard glare at her, pin-pointing the one thing she thought may be a weak point for the other unicorn. "If something isn't arranged, Trixie will be forced to tell Celestia about these…uncivilized and improper conditions."

Twilight went pale and her eyes widened. She knew Trixie couldn't have any real pull with the Princess, but a bad report about her hospitality from anypony wasn't something she wanted on her record. Her mind raced with terrible consequences that could come from such a slight. She found the strength to nod slowly. "I'll figure something out…"

"You had better. Until you do, Trixie will need to vacate the…room…so she can get ready for this party in private."

Again, Twilight nodded and walked back down the stairs, leaving Trixie to prepare as she tried to figure out different sleeping arrangements.


	4. Chapter Three

Getting Trixie out of the library had proven to be more difficult than Twilight had anticipated. Her inability to provide more adequate sleeping arrangements had kept Trixie on edge and the magician used this excuse to complain and continue to hide in the loft as long as possible. By the time she could find no more reasons to stall and nothing more to gripe about, they were already nearly an hour late.

"Tell Trixie again why she must attend this ridiculous party?" the showmare asked as they walked. Agreeing to go hadn't meant she was going to be agreeable about the experience.

"Parties mean a lot to Pinkie Pie. It'll make her really upset if we don't go. She organized the whole thing just for you. The least we can do is show up," Twilight explained, getting frustrated with having to tell her this again. "We don't have to stay long."

Trixie sighed, appearing aloof and disinterested. In reality, she was getting more and more worried the closer they got to the sweets shoppe where she'd been told the party was going to be held. She didn't want to have to deal with confronting the ponies of this town. If she hadn't been forced into it by her former teacher, Trixie would have preferred to never step foot in Ponyville ever again. As they reached the door, she had to swallow a shudder, converting the nervous energy into another haughty flip of her mane.

"Let's get this over with," she muttered.

Twilight's horn lit with soft magenta magic as she prepared to open the door, but it was flung open wide before she could complete the action and a moving blur of pink assaulted Trixie.

"Hi! You must be the Princess' other student! When Twilight said you were coming, I just knew I had to throw you a Welcome to Ponyville party! Then I found out that you've been to Ponyville before, so I changed it to a Welcome Back to Ponyville party! I'm Pinkie Pie and you're Trixie, right? Oh, no wait, it's Great and Powerful Trixie, isn't it?"

Trixie stumbled backward, unsure how to respond to the reception she'd received from the pink pony. She didn't recognize her from her last trip to the town and took a chance at using her default arrogance to cover up her confusion and uncertainty.

"Yes - I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! Former student of Princess Celestia, most skilled magician in all of Equestria!"

Beside Trixie, Twilight rolled her eyes and bit her tongue. She gave Pinkie Pie a nervous look, silently hoping her friend would know better than to fall for such a blatant exaggeration.

"That's amazing!" Pinkie chirped, eyes going wide in awe. "How did you get to be Great and Powerful anyway?"

Trixie stammered. She didn't have a real answer for that. It was a self-appointed title, but she didn't want to disappoint this new fan. She began to formulate a story in her head but was cut off before she could begin.

"Save it, Trixie. Nopony wants t' hear anymore of your lies," an orange earth pony said with a biting tone.

Trixie snapped her head around to fix a hard stare at her. She recognized this pony from last time, but knew nothing about her other than that she was already certain she wasn't going to get along with her.

"Trixie had no intention of lying," Trixie lied.

"Well, sorry if I have a hard time believin' that." Applejack glared at the unicorn. "Why don'tcha tell us again about how you defeated that Ursa Major?"

For a moment Trixie faltered. She could feel her face burning red from embarrassment, and the knowledge of that embarrassment only made her angry, which in turn made her even more red. At her side, Twilight looked nervously around at the ponies in the room, desperate to find a remedy for the rising tension in the air.

"You don't need to be a meanie, Applejack!" Pinkie Pie cut in, giving her friend an admonishing glance. Putting a comforting hoof on Trixie's withers, she continued, "It's really not nice to make somepony uncomfortable when they're new somewhere! So she told a couple fibs! That doesn't mean we shouldn't be nice to her! Everypony fibs sometimes! Just the other day, I told Mr. Cake that I couldn't start work early 'cus I had to take a bath, but really, I wanted to give Gummy a bath. You're not gonna be an angry meanie at me about that, are you?"

Trixie resisted the urge to flinch as a small smile crept on to her face. She wasn't accustomed to being touched, but she also was not accustomed to being defended.

"It wasn't just a coupl'a fibs, Pinkie. She just about got everypony in town killed with that Ursa stunt! And you're throwin' her a dang party for it?" The farm pony stomped a forehoof. "Not to mention how she made a foal outta all your friends."

At the mention of the Ursa, Trixie reared defensively, nearly knocking Pinkie down. She had known she'd wind up being confronted by somepony, but she had hoped she'd have more time before that happened. She shook herself and nearly charged at her insulter.

"Trixie had nothing to do with that Ursa Minor attack! It was those dim-witted little colts! Trixie would never have done anything so utterly stupid and reckless!"

Applejack kicked at the ground, once, unsatisfied with that answer. "If y'all hadn't told them foals you could do it they never would'a gone out to find that Ursa in the first place!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Pinkie interjected again, standing between the feuding ponies and waving her forelegs furiously. "Parties are not the place for fighting. Parties are for having fun! And _this_ party is to welcome Trixie to town! So, let's all try to be welcoming and have fun! I bet Trixie has a bunch of really great stories she can tell us!"

"She's right, AJ. We should all just try to get along and be friends," Twilight added, finally able to think clearly now that all the shouting had stopped. "And you know, it really wasn't Trixie's fault that the Ursa came into town."

Applejack shook her head, letting out a heavy sigh. "I should'a listened to Rainbow Dash and not shown up at all… I'm sorry Pinkie Pie, but I just can't stay here. This party ain't fer me. I just can't pretend to be nice to that pony."

The orange earth pony turned to exit the shoppe, but was quickly stopped by Pinkie, who seemed to have simply appeared in front of her.

"Oh, Applejack! Please, please, please stay?" she pleaded. "Just for a little? Just stick around long enough to let Trixie tell just ONE story! One _real _story! Please, just one chance?"

As Applejack pondered this, Trixie found herself taken aback by the earnestness of Pinkie's plea to her friend. The party pony was not only defending her honour, but was also making a deliberate attempt to get those around her to take the same side. She started to smile and search her brain for a good story to tell, regardless of whether or not Apple-something stuck around to hear it.

With Pinkie's begging eyes on her, Applejack's gaze softened and it seemed as though she would give in and stay. Her stubbornness kicked in, however, and she shook her head, and kept walking. "I'm sorry Pinkie Pie…I just can't. I just ain't got a tolerance fer liars. And what happened to tha town when that Ursa showed up… I can't forgive that. Not yet, anyways. I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't worry about her, dear," a gently lifted voice said as the door closed behind Applejack.

Trixie spun around. With all the commotion and confrontation, she had failed to notice the other unicorn and two pegasi who were also in attendance. The unicorn, white-coated and vaguely familiar stepped forward.

"Applejack can be rather tactless sometimes. She's a bit more sensitive than she likes to let on. I'm certain she'll warm up to you with some time."

Before Trixie could respond to her, Pinkie Pie was up and smiling again. "Rarity's right! Applejack just needs a little more time, but I bet soon you two will be bestie best friends!"

Both Trixie and Rarity doubted this, but they both gave Pinkie obliging smiles. Rarity took another step forward and addressed Trixie again.

"I'm Rarity," she introduced herself politely, with a soft nod of her head that became an elegant flip of her mane. "We…er…met previously."

The simple act of flipping her mane brought the memory of this pony back to Trixie. She very nearly grinned. She had thought that particular trick has been utterly hilarious and had thoroughly enjoying showing up a pony who had appeared to be as haughty as herself.

Trixie gave a short nod, realizing it was smarter to not laugh in this unicorn's face. "Yes, Trixie recalls that. Trixie sees that your mane seems to have corrected itself quite nicely. She is…rather surprised you still wish to associate with her after such a slight to your appearance and ego."

Rarity waved her forehoof dismissively as the grey pegasus walked over to stand at her side. "Oh, don't worry about it at all, dear!" she chimed, acknowledging an apology that hadn't happened. "If I held a grudge against everypony that occasionally ruined my mane, I'd never be able to speak to Rainbow Dash again!"

Behind Rarity, the other pegasus, a sweet looking mare with a soft yellow coat and light pink mane, giggled gently. Trixie found it nearly impossible not to smile in her direction.

After a long time of keeping silent, Twilight finally spoke up again, "So, Trixie, why don't you tell us one of your stories?"

"Tell us how you first met the Princess!" Pinkie jumped in, bouncing with tangible excitement.

Trixie didn't hold back her grin. "If you insist. Trixie will tell you the story of how she became Princess Celestia's most prized pupil!"

Twilight rolled her eyes again, but the other ponies in the room fell into total silence as the lights dimmed and a soft blue glow alighted from Trixie's horn. In the air before her, she began to create bright and elaborate neon images of Canterlot Palace.

"Once, years ago, The Great and Powerful Trixie had been nothing more than a young and inexperienced filly…"


End file.
